Information Collection Comment Request: SNAP Operating Guidelines, Forms, Waivers, and Annual State Report on Verification of SNAP Participation

Summary

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this information collection. This is a revision of a currently approved collection. This information collection consists of several components of state agency reporting and/or recordkeeping: State Plan of Operations, Puerto Rico Plan of Operations, Territory Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), budget projection statement, program activity report, waiver requests submitted via the Waiver Information Management System (WIMS), and other plans and submissions such as advance planning documents (APD) for information systems and for electronic benefit transfer systems. Also included in this collection are the activities related to the Annual State Report on Verification of SNAP Participation, which ensures that no person who is deceased, or who has been permanently disqualified from SNAP, improperly received SNAP benefits for the federal fiscal year (FY) preceding the report submission. Each state agency emails their FNA regional office annually to confirm compliance with this requirement.

Request for Comments

Written comments must be received on or before Aug. 14, 2026.

Comments may be sent to Maribelle Balbes, Food and Nutrition Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 or (703) 605-4272. Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to Regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Abstract

Section 16(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) authorizes 50 percent federal reimbursement for state agency costs to administer the program. 7 CFR 272.2(a) of SNAP regulations states that state agencies shall periodically plan budget program operations and establish objectives for the next year. This collection is required by Section 4032 of the Agricultural Act of 2014.

The basic components of the State Plan of Operation are the Federal/State Agreement, the Budget Projection Statement (FNS-366A), and the Program Activity Statement (FNS-366B) (7 CFR 272.2(a)(2)).

The Budget Projection Statement (FNS-366A) includes the state agency's projections for each quarter of the next FY and a narrative to show how these projections were calculated. Per 7 CFR 272.2(c), the state agency submits the FNS-366A quarterly to FNA for approval. The State Program Activity Statement (FNS-366B) includes a summary of program activity for the state agency's operations during the preceding quarter. This statement is submitted quarterly by the state agency to FNA.

State agencies and territories will submit a monthly report of benefit issuance and participation data (FNS-388), and a semi-annual report of benefit and participation data by project area (FNS-388A).

The FNS-366A, the FNS-366B, FNS-388 and FNS-388A are submitted via the Food Programs Reporting System, OMB Control Number 0584-0594, expiration date 09/30/2026.

State agencies must also annually submit a state plan to FNA via the FNA PartnerWeb ​. Attachments to the plan are to be submitted, as applicable. State agencies must provide FNA with changes to these attachments as they occur. Consequently, these attachments are considered state plan updates. Puerto Rico submits a State Plan of Operations while American Samoa and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) submit an MOU that functions as a State Plan of Operations. Each of these documents are submitted via email.

Under Section 11(o) of the Act, each state agency is required to develop and submit plans via email for the use of automated data processing (ADP) and information retrieval systems to administer SNAP. State agencies and territories are also required to submit a transmittal letter along with the ADP to verify the accuracy of information provided to FNA. Section 16(a) of the Act authorizes partial federal reimbursement of state costs for State ADP systems that the Secretary determines will assist meeting the requirements of the Act, meets conditions prescribed by the Secretary, are likely to provide more efficient and effective administration of the program, and are compatible with certain other federally funded systems.

Under 7 CFR 277.18(c)(1), state agencies must obtain prior written approval from FNA when planning to enhance, replace, or acquire information system equipment with a total acquisition cost of $6 million or more in federal and state funds. The state agency must submit an APD via email prior to acquiring planning services and an Implementation APD prior to acquiring ADP equipment or services. Additionally, state agencies administering SNAP may submit a request through WIMS to obtain approval from FNA to deviate from a specific program rule or regulation. Current procedures require that for FNA to approve a SNAP waiver request, the State agency must submit the SNAP waiver request to FNA via WIMS.

SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.16require that state agencies disqualify an individual who has committed an intentional program violation (IPV). Federal regulations at 7 CFR 273.16(e)(8) require that these individuals "be disqualified in accordance with the disqualification periods and procedures in paragraph (b) of this Section" (7 CFR 273.16(b)). Paragraph 7 CFR 273.16(i) requires state agencies to report information concerning each individual disqualified for an IPV to the disqualified recipient database, the electronic Disqualified Recipient System (eDRS), and to use eDRS data to determine the eligibility of individual applicants prior to certification. Activities associated with the reporting of this data are covered under Federal Collection Methods for SNAP Recipient Claims, OMB Control Number 0584-0446, a collection that is requesting reinstatement and a new expiration date by OMB, SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 272.14also require that each state agency establish a system to verify and ensure that benefits are not issued to individuals who are deceased. That data source is the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Death Master File. The information required for the Annual State Report on Verification of SNAP Participation is obtained by validating that the state had the appropriate systems in place and followed procedures currently mandated at 7 CFR 272.14 and 7 CFR 273.16 for the preceding FY. The burdens associated with establishing a system to verify and ensure that benefits are not issued to deceased individuals or those permanently disqualified from SNAP using both the SSA Death Master File and eDRS are already approved under SNAP Forms: Applications Periodic Reporting, Notices, OMB burden number 0584-0064, expiration date 06/30/2027. In order to meet the reporting requirements specified in Section 4032 of the Act, states are required to confirm via email to their FNA regional SNAP Director that in the immediately preceding FY they had the appropriate systems in place to meet the requirements of 7 CFR 272.14 and 273.16(i)(4) and that they conducted the matches required by these regulations. States are required to submit their Section 4032 reports to the FNA regional SNAP Director by March 31 each year for the preceding FY.